The applause on the TV turned into a roar.
Caleb’s jaw must have hit the floor.
I knew nothing about the broadcast schedule. I had only been contacted a week earlier by a government official. I thought he was joking until he showed me his credentials. He said my actions during the fire were heroic. I didn’t feel like a hero. I just felt like a mother who knew the value of life.
The segment continued with interviews. Doctors calling me “relentless.” Patients weeping as they thanked me for saving them from the flames.
Then came the part I knew would rip Caleb apart.
The anchor said, “And
They played my recorded interview. I was sitting on my small beige sofa, holding Emma and Ethan. My voice trembled slightly, but my eyes remained steady, looking directly into the lens.
